Regalos
by Kristen Elizabeth
Summary: I'm not frightened anymore. I hope you know that. I hope you trust that. GSR, Spoilers for Way to Go


Disclaimer: Characters contained within do not belong to me. 

Author's Notes: The finale continues to stay with me. Ah, such inspiration... I hope you enjoy this one, too!

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Regalos 

by Kristen Elizabeth

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_There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else. – Peyton Conway March_

* * *

"I want to give you something." 

Sara turned her head and smirked at the man lying next to her. "You just did. Twice, in case you didn't notice."

Sitting up in bed, Grissom turned on a lamp and reached into the drawer of his nightstand. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched as he withdrew a rolled-up piece of paper. He handed it to her.

"Is it a page from the Kama Sutra?" she asked, hopefully.

Only Grissom could give her that prudish of a look after all the things they'd just done. "It's a common misconception that the Kama Sutra is a sex manual. Yes, there are chapters on physical pleasure, but it's a really a book about etiquette in relationships."

"You wouldn't know that by my college roommate's pop-up version." Sara pushed herself into a sitting position. "So, what is this?"

"Read it."

After turning on the lamp on her side of the bed, Sara flattened the paper against the rumpled covers. Her quick eyes scanned the page. When she looked up, there was a question in her eyes.

Grissom smiled. "Let me explain…"

* * *

_July1998_

A trickle of sweat ran down the back of his neck and disappeared into the white cotton collar of his shirt. He didn't notice. He was too busy snapping pictures of the_ atta cephalotes_ as it carried a huge piece of leaf down the fern's stalk, preceded and followed by a hundred of its fellow ants.

"Dr. G, over here!"

It was only because he had well over a fifty shots of the leaf-cutting ants that he turned his attention towards the grad student who was calling for him. Jonas was a good kid, but he had yet to learn that you saw more if you talked less.

His eyes followed Jonas' pointed finger to an gold and black beauty. "I can't place it," Jonas admitted.

Grissom snapped a few pictures. "_Dynastes hercules_."

"Rhinoceros beetle," Jonas groaned. "Of course!" He grinned. "Bet that's one you don't find on your bodies."

"As a rule, no." He took a few more shots to be on the safe side, and straightened up. "Pop quiz. Two species of rhinoceros beetle can be found in America. What are they?"

While Jonas thought, Grissom looked around. Some of the best-known entomologists in the world were gathered within a fifty-foot radius, taking pictures and making notes. Yasuni National Park in Ecuador was better than Disney World. Being here was worth having to give that lecture series at Berkeley.

Of course, if he hadn't let himself be persuaded to give those talks in exchange for his place on the expedition, he never would have met…

"_Dynastes granti_ and _tityus_!"

Grissom nodded at Jonas. "Just under the buzzer."

The rainforest canopy above them completely blocked out the sky, but it was almost time to head back to camp for lunch. Not that he was hungry. He wanted to spend as much time as possible in the field. He'd only been on a expedition once before, as a grad student like Jonas, and he wasn't sure when he'd ever get to come back given his responsibilities in Las Vegas.

For the briefest moment, he wondered how everything was going. Jim Brass was a good cop, but his management skills definitely lacked some finesse. Grissom just hoped he was taking it easy on the new kid. Nick Stokes could be a promising CSI if he developed a thicker skin.

"It's fucking beautiful, isn't it?" Jonas said succinctly, looking up at the canopy. "I wish my girlfriend was here. She's a big nature freak." When Grissom said nothing, Jonas glanced at him. "So, is there a Mrs. G back home?"

_Warm brown eyes twinkling at him over the rim of a coffee cup. A smile that was just imperfect enough to be fascinating. A mature mind that belied her age. Young. Too young._

He cleared his throat. "Let's catch up with the others."

It was on their way back to camp that they heard the distant, whining sound of overworked metal.

"What the hell is that?"

Jonas was answered by another member of the expedition. "The Ecuadorian government's gone and opened up some of the eastern forest to the oil companies. They must be drilling."

"But this is a national park," Jonas frowned. "Protected land."

"They drill just beyond the park borders," another scientist explained. "The suits just don't get that you can't mess up one part without affecting the rest."

Jonas shook his head. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

His question stayed with Grissom for the remainder of the trip. On their last day in Napo Province, it came to him. It wasn't much, but it was something.

He broached the idea to Jonas at the airport. "I love it!" the young man exclaimed. "I'll do it twice. Once in my name, and once in Alison's!"

When Grissom filled out the paperwork for his contribution, there was only one name he could think to put down.

* * *

_May 2006_

"I can't believe it. You saved an acre of rainforest…in my name. Gris…" She shook her head. "This is the most amazing thing anyone's ever given me." Because she wanted to see him get flustered again, she added, "Within the past five minutes, at least."

He cleared his throat. "I'm only sorry it took me eight years to give it to you."

"Why do you think that is?" she asked softly. "You've given me other things. Books, for instance."

"This was different."

Sara considered him for a second. "Because…you didn't want me to know that you were thinking of me two months after we met?"

He looked down at his hands. "Would that have frightened you?"

"It would have given me hope." Her smile was rueful. "And that would have frightened you."

"I'm not frightened anymore," Grissom told her. "I hope you know that. I hope you trust that."

Sara held up the certificate that stated that an acre of rainforest in Ecuador had been persevered in her name. "It's hard not to when I'm holding the proof right here." A moment passed as she read it over again. "What made you decide to give this to me tonight?"

"We might not get to choose how we die, Sara. But as I'm starting to realize, we do get to choose how we live. And while we live, I want you to know that since the day we walked into each other's lives…you've been on my mind."

After setting the paper on her nightstand, she planted one hand on either side of his body and looked down at him. "Thank you," she whispered before lowering her lips to his.

When she drew back, Grissom reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you, Sara."

She nodded and kissed him again. "Will you take me there?" she asked, her voice throaty with desire. "To Ecuador? To see my acre?"

"I can't imagine a better use of our vacation time. What are we at these days?"

"I'm right at thirteen; you've got twelve," Sara replied. "You know…they'll notice if we take a couple of weeks off at the same time."

Grissom gently grasped her bare arms and rolled her onto her back, reversing their positions until he loomed over her. "Maybe it's time we let them notice."

She stroked her fingers down the surprising softness of his beard. "It really doesn't frighten you anymore, does it?"

"I have new fears now."

"Like what?"

His mouth loved hers for a long moment. "Trying to figure out what to get you for our second anniversary."

"Well," she said, arching her back when his lips found her breast. "There's always the pop-up Kama Sutra."

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Fin 

A/N: If you're interested in preserving an acre of rainforest (in your name or someone else's) go to http / www . worldlandtrust . org


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